Today we were lucky enough to have a visit from the very beautiful Lee Holmes in Food Matters HQ as she headed around Australia on her book tour for her new book 'Heal Your Gut'. We made some yummy recipes with her ( recipe below) and talked all things gut healing!
Inflammation lies at the root of many chronic illnesses, and a majority of them start within the gut as an autoimmune reaction that develops into systemic inflammation.
This is my favorite drug-free weapon of choice for combatting inflammation. It’s agolden hued suit of armour in my arsenal of gut healing recipes taken from my new book Heal Your Gut.
Drinking this toddy will provide you with a natural way of soothing the body in a waythat tastes delicious; laced with creamy cashew milk and perfumed with healing spices.
Inflammation lies at the root of a number of chronic illnesses, and many of them startwithin the gut as an autoimmune reaction that develops into systemic inflammation.When inflammation strikes, we are conditioned into reaching for a quick fix in the wayof pharmaceutical or prescribed drugs such as aspirin and ibuprofen, temporarypanacea’s that come with their own adverse side effects and with long term use have thepotential to create a host of health problems independently.
But not all inflammation is harmful. Acute inflammation is a beneficial thing; it’s thebody’s protective and localised response to infection or injury. When you fall off yourbike, or when you feel your glands swelling as you fight off a cold, the inflammation youexperience is designed to heal your body and to restore normal tissue function.However, if inflammation persists due to an autoimmune reaction, allergy or otherhealth complication, it becomes chronic inflammation which can cause long-termproblems.
A number of ancient Ayurvedic Indian spices may help to reduce chronic inflammationand pain. Curcumin, a compound found in the vibrant coloured and subtly flavouredspice, turmeric, significantly reduces inflammation in the body. In fact, the healing properties of curcumin are so effective that they are used in a variety of treatments forarthritis.
Combining turmeric with black pepper, as I do in this recipe, will help to increase thebody’s ability to absorb and digest the curcumin due to its pungent piperine content. Black pepper has been shown to have potent anti-inflammatory properties of its owntoo. It’s known as the “king of spices”, praised for its antibacterial, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory benefits. Black pepper is also great for those of us with digestive issues, asit’s much milder in taste and gentler on the stomach than its feisty counterpart, cayenne.
Another root, similar in appearance to turmeric and frequently cited as being aneffective anti-inflammatory, is ginger. Ginger, a zesty spice used in many Asian cuisines,can be purchased powdered, pickled, or as a fresh root in most health food stores,grocers, and major supermarkets.
Adding a slice of fresh ginger and lemon to a large jug of water in the morning andsipping on it throughout the day is a more flavoursome way to reach your dailyhydration quota.Ginger has been used as a traditional medicine to treat stomach upset, headaches, andinfections and recent scientific studies confirm that it does indeed have potent anti-inflammatory actions. It’s for this reason that ginger, as well as turmeric, are oftenprescribed as digestive aids in traditional medicine. Both have the ability to soothe aninflamed stomach and pacify the stomach lining.
Cinnamon, another popular spice incorporated into this Toddy, is known for addingflavour and a subtle sweetness to dishes. It’s also a healthy sugar substitute. Keep agood supply of it on hand and sprinkle it onto your warm beverages, breakfast cerealsand yoghurts, Indian-inspired dishes, or even on plain fresh fruit.
Cinnamon is more than just a delicious flavour enhancer. This delicious spice also hasanti-inflammatory properties, which could help to ease swelling, especially after acuteinjury.All nuts and seeds are considered beneficial for bowel regularity and, due to their highmonounsaturated fat content, can help line the gut and increase nutrient absorption.
There are three ways to get the maximum amount of gut healing from nuts, soak them,blend or chew them well and enjoy them in moderate amounts. Nut butter and nutmilk, can also make them much easier to digest as the body doesn’t have to work ashard to break them down. Being one of the softer more pliable nuts, cashews, when blended with water, make arich, creamy milk that resembles full-fat cow’s milk.
When trying to heal your gut, for some people minimizing dairy intake can help as dairyis often loaded with sugar and can have an acidic effect in the body. Many people withsensitive stomachs can also fail to produce enough lactase, the enzyme required todigest dairy, and so it may ferment in the gut and cause a range of tummy upsets. This iswhere plant-based milks really step up.
This anti-inflammatory toddy makes the perfect supper beverage after a day of eatingwhen your digestive symptoms are likely to be at their worst due to the accumulation offood in the stomach and overwork.However, everyone can benefit from the healing properties of this delicious healthy teawhich can be enjoyed anytime and by anyone, regardless of their digestive health.
